The woman, an employee of a Tim Hortons coffee and donut chain in Toronto, gave a fussy toddler the tiny, 16-cent donut (called a "Timbit") to eat, and was promptly fired by her overzealous manager.
The woman said she would have paid for the donut, but the store was busy and she had to work.
As soon as Tim Hortons' corporate offices heard of the firing, they quickly issued a statement that the firing was a mistake (it was implied that the woman was re-hired).
Seriously, though: who would want to go back and work for that maniac? Whatever happened to the customer coming first?
Hopefully, the woman will be able to get away from the boss with the anger management issues, and get a better job. Like at the local IHOP.
I love it when people care. Even if it's about something minor, like whether you can get a slice of lemon with a Starbucks iced tea, it's always refreshing when someone actually gives a damn. I feel like I'm generally too busy (read: lazy) to care about things, and it's good to know that someone out there is doing the caring for me. Plus, caring gets other people caring.
Take, for example, Al Lewis at the Denver Post, who cares desperately about the fact that Starbucks doesn't provide fresh lemons to squeeze in iced tea. I never noticed it before, but now that I think about it, I might really like that option. I always ask for lemon with iced tea in restaurants, but it never occurred to me that Starbucks has been denying me. So while part of me thinks Al Lewis should just invest his time in finding another establishment for purchasing out tea, more of me thinks he keeps fighting the good fight. Your thoughts?
Do you go to coffee shops with any regularity? Are you there every day, or do you make it a weekend thing? Whenever you go, have you ever wondered about the people who make your coffee?
As we should all remember they are people too (not just automatons, created to serve our caffeine whims), and they have just as many pet peeves about you as you have about them. The RedEye blog interviewed baristas extensively and put together a list of everything (well, ok, 10 things) that they really want you to know. Next time you order your favorite beverage from your favorite coffee shop, keep in mind these tips while you're leaving yours.
Is tax day bringing you down? Dunkin' Donuts wants to help raise your spirits. All day today, if you buy a cup of coffee at DD, they'll throw in a free donut. Because while there's no such thing in life as a free lunch, on April 15th, at least you can get yourself a free donut. I recommend the chocolate glazed.
As you may have heard, after years of growth that kept them on track for world domination, in recent months global coffee phenomenon Starbucks suddenly hit a few stumbling blocks. Back in February, they closed their stores and retrained their employees on how to make the perfect shot of espresso. Yesterday, in response to critics who say that their beans are over-roasted, they introduced a new roast called Pike Place, named after the iconic market in Seattle, the city where they first started out.
They handed out free samples of this new roast yesterday at 12 noon to passersby and have scattered free coffee cards in daily newspapers all across the country. The clip you see above is from Mahalo Daily and in it, they capture reactions to the new coffee from Starbucks.
Have you tried the new roast? If you have, what do you think?
So, I've gotta hand it to Starbucks. Its new site, My Starbucks Idea, is actually...well, a good idea. You sign up and simply type in a suggestion that you think the coffee chain should adopt, and post it to the site. You can also view others' advice, and vote on ones you think are worthwhile.
Then - and this is the kicker - someone from the corporation actually reads the ideas and even puts some of them into practice. Several of the ideas on the site are currently "under review," like the suggestions for implementing frequent buyer punch cards, or for implementing free Wifi access in every store (obviously, many city locations already have WiFi service).
I'm also surprised at the quality of the suggestions. Though I'd imagine that the site is highly monitored to eliminate the crazies (or, for that matter, Starbucks haters), many of the responses are actually decent and well thought-out. And some, on the other hand, are flat-out hilarious: one poster calls Starbucks' music "pseudo-intellectual," "over-produced" and "noisy garbage," while another requests that the music in his local store be turned down, so that when he's "making a business call, it doesn't sound like I'm calling from a public place." Um...isn't that what your home and office are for?
Hmm...so I guess suggesting "STOP EXPANDING YOUR CHAIN!" would probably get flagged, huh? Just a thought.
Do you love Peet's coffee? If you answered yes to this question and you can articulate why it is you feel so fondly towards Peet's coffee, then you are well on your way to potentially winning a year's supply of Peet's. They are currently running a contest in which they are asking people to submit stories based on the theme, "Why I Love Peet's Coffee." It can be about an interesting experience you had while in the store or about someone you met while getting a cup of coffee.
The only irritating thing about this contest is that they want you to surrender email addresses from five friends along with your story, which makes the promotion feel a little less cool. However, if you're willing to sell out five friends for a chance to win a year's worth of coffee (I must add that Peet's coffee is quite excellent), then you can find all the official rules and entry info here.
The company that introduced (and hooked) us all on the $4 cup of coffee is starting to feel the burn -- of the economy turning south, and of competitor's cheaper cuppas.
In its annual meeting today, Starbucks' newly-returned founder and CEO Howard Schultz laid out plans for staunching the chains' loss of sales. Among other ideas, the ubiquitous coffee house might introduce loyalty cards...and do away with using flavor-locked bags of pre-ground coffee in its stores.
Seems nobody likes that burned-coffee smell anymore. Instead, stores will once again start using only freshly-ground coffee, and will more carefully tailor its hot food selections to those that don't get in the way of that all-important fresh coffee aroma.
In answer to growing competition from the likes of Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's (both of which serve a fine cup of coffee, in my humble opinion), Starbucks began testing $1 cup of house coffee in its Seattle stores earlier this year.
After reading this story at our sister site That's Fit, I may look at my local Starbuck's barista a little differently the next time I stop in for a triple venti non-fat peppermint white chocolate mocha.
Apparently a Starbuck's employee and one of her long-time regular customers had developed a friendship of sorts. If you've ever worked in the food and beverage industry, you'll know this happens often - serving the same people day in and day out, you tend to find out a lot about their lives. As much as they talked over the course of three years though, the customer, Annamarie Ausnes, hadn't revealed that she was suffering from polycystic kidney failure until it got to the point where her kidneys were only functioning at 15 percent and she would be needing a transplant.
Annamarie's husband and son weren't matches, and she was already on a very long waiting list for a donor when she happened to mention it to Sandie Anderson, her barista. Sandie immediately volunteered to be tested, and was found to be a perfect match.
Earlier this week, surgeons removed one of Sandie's kidneys and successfully transplanted it into Annamarie. Both ladies are doing well and are expected to make a full recovery. Now that is going above and beyond in the way of customer service.
Last summer there was a press release that came out with little fanfare. Starbucks and Hershey's had decided to team up, with the chocolate giant creating confections for the coffee giant. The marriage finally came to fruition this week with a new line of chocolate delights sporting a Starbucks logo.
I have a really hard time thinking of anything coming from this pairing as good, but, then, I haven't tried the chocolates. The team over at Yumsugar has, though, and they were only too happy to give us all a review. It turns out that the line of sweets isn't so bad. The line includes "six different tasting squares, four truffles, three chocolate bars and covered coffee beans." Apparently the beans were the best part, but the truffles got good reviews too. The bars were better then the tasting squares, though, which doesn't make sense to me.
I'm still having trouble getting a handle on this. Has anyone else had a chance to try the Starbucks line of chocolates? What did you think?
You'd think that after trying out Dunkin Donuts coffee brewed at home, I would leave well enough alone, but when a good deal comes around, I have to let you know about it. (I promise, I'm not on some secret Dunkin Donuts coffee promotion committee here at Slashfood.)
On Tuesday, February 26 (that's tomorrow!), Dunkin Donuts is offering 99 cent lattes from 1-10 PM in their stores. Granted, who waits until 1 PM to have a latte? Still, after having your first four cups in the morning, a 99 cent latte in the afternoon isn't a bad deal.
When it comes to coffee, while I can say that I have to drink a steaming hot cup of it at least once a day, I have to admit that I'm not very - how do you say? -- discriminating. Basically, I'm your street variety caffeine addict who only cares that it gives me a high, even if only for 15 minutes.
So is it fair for me to "review" the tiny sample of Dunkin Donuts coffee that the company sent me to try? Absolutely!
I brewed the entire sample pack with the intention of giving it a full test run -- one cup fresh after brewing taken black, one cup maybe a few minutes later with my usual splash of soy milk. Was it acidic? Balanced? Deep? How the hell do I know? This is basically what I will say about Dunkin Donuts coffee.
It tastes nothing like doughnuts.
But I understand that the real appeal of Dunkin Donuts coffee comes from knowing that you are getting coffee that is the same coffee they serve in the pink and orange temple to fried dough. With that understanding, Dunkin Donuts coffee is pretty darn good.
Park Slope, Brooklyn, has gotten a reputation in the past few years for being, well..a stroller mecca, to put it mildly. The tight-knit community, safe streets, and good schools make it a natural choice for couples looking to raise a family.
The stroller news - moms taking over coffee shops to hold "Mommy and Me" playgroups - seemed to have died down, until a January blog post by Park Slope columnist, blogger, and mom Louise Crawford. The proprietors of Union Hall, a neighborhood bar that features local bands, hung a sign that read, "No one under 21 admitted. Please, no strollers."
The owners cited liability and safety as the reasons for the new rule, saying that the bar's bocce court and open stairwell didn't mix well with kids running around shoeless.
According to Crawford, who was featured on a recent NPR story about the issue, the bartender has since loosened the ban, and now wants to start a late-afternoon group specifically for moms and their babies.
I'd imagine that the bartender had little choice in the matter, though - those Park Slope message boards can be ruthless, and one person is only so strong when they're staring down a half-dozen moms and their Baby Joggers.
The Times article had a quote from a woman who was incredulous at the "cubes, crayons, and candy" at the top of the bar. For the record, a bar I frequent in Philly, Tattooed Mom, serves up toys and Dum-Dum pops alongside PBR and shots of Jim Beam. And while I thoroughly enjoy these nods to childhood, that's all I need...a nod.
What about you? Do you think it's too harsh to ban kids and strollers from a neighborhood bar? Or is it completely legitimate to ban whomever you want from your bar, especially if you're worried about their safety?
This weekend, if you're in the D.C. area, you should check out the Millrock Free Pour Latte Art Championship. It's held three times a year and features the best latte artists in the country battling it out for a top prize of $5,000.
The practice of latte art has been going on for years, and is an opportunity for local, independent cafes to distinguish themselves from chains. The precision and careful technique required for each masterpiece is appealing to many customers used to the "get in, get out" mentality and rushed service of larger coffee chains. Coffee art is like mint on your pillow in a hotel or a soft blanket on an airplane, delivered without being asked - nowadays, it's unexpected but greatly appreciated, and denotes an attention to detail that is often missing from our day-to-day life.
Contestants compete in "free pouring," a technique in which a slight maneuver of the wrist can produce museum-worthy rosettas, tulips, and hearts on the surface of the drinks. If done properly, the dark espresso brings out the glossy designs in the crema, producing a stunning effect that is almost too pretty to drink. However, in cafes, the deconstruction of the drink by the act of sipping is part of the fun.
The baristas have five minutes to make up to three lattes using espresso and steamed milk, and are rated on beauty, balance, color infusion, definition, and creativity.
Check out this cool Washington Post video of two guys from an Annapolis, Maryland cafe who demonstrate this unique talent.
The men over at Esquire ate their way from coast to coast and picked out their favorite sandwiches, everything from the Vietnamese Banh Mi at Saigon Sandwich Shop in San Francisco to the Sweet Coppa with Hot Peppers and Rucola at New York City's 'Ino.
Normally, I wouldn't get all that excited about this list because I am not a huge fan of sandwiches, but I do have an interest since LA is represented twice with the Torta Milanesa from Las Nuevas and the Monte Cristo at Canter's Deli.
However, the real reason this list stands out to me is that both the McRib and Chick-Fil-A make an appearance.
It sits alone and untouched at the end of a long buffet table -- a bowl full of apples and bananas, maybe a seedy orange tossed in as an afterthought. Don't let your fruit salad meet this awful fate, spruce it up instead!
The woman, an employee of a Tim Hortons coffee and donut chain in Toronto, gave a fussy toddler the tiny, 16-cent donut (called a "Timbit") to eat, and was promptly fired by her overzealous manager.
I love it when people care. Even if it's about something minor, like whether you can get a slice of lemon with a 
Do you go to coffee shops with any regularity? Are you there every day, or do you make it a weekend thing? Whenever you go, have you ever wondered about the 
The company that introduced (and hooked) us all on the $4 cup of coffee is starting to feel the burn -- of the economy turning south, and of competitor's cheaper cuppas. 
After reading 
Last summer there was a press release that came out with little fanfare. 
You'd think that after 
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